In defence of a good copy: a discussion on craft making and authenticity

Abstract

Between the years 1941 and 1982 two crafts makers and brothers Tor and Åke Carlsson made wooden relief copies of John Bauer paintings. John Bauer was a very well known Swedish painter and illustrator who depicted scenes from folkloric stories. These stories were about dense forests, lakes, trolls, princes and witches. Although Bauer was a prominent figure who was very keen on keeping the copyrights of his work, the wooden copies became a sensation in the rural town Tranås. The Bauer paintings and motifs were popular and very well known in Sweden and Åke and Tor Carlsson were aware they were making wooden replicas of his work but adding their own subtle interpretations. They designed and carved the Bauer works on wood and signed them with their famous inscription: “Fritt efter John Bauer (A free interpretation of John Bauer). The wooden copies were so popular they became collectors’ items and can still be found in auctions today. They were not artworks, yet they exceeded the idea of craft making. “In defence of a good copy” investigates why the Bauer copies were so popular, researching the different aspects of copies and its merits as an art object or as memorabilia